Feeding mechanism



F. O. A'NDREWS ET AL FEEDING MECHANISM June 28, 1932.

3 Shets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Oct. 10 1924 mezuford: flan/61620 0.67ndrew6 andloua's Sfe June 193?;- F. o. ANDREWS ET AL 1,865,293

FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 10, 1924 s Sheets-Shet 2 i k s I11 wir June 28, 1932. F. o. ANDREWS ET AL FEEDING MECHANI S'M Original Filed Oct. 10, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 59 41 izs Patented Jane 28, 1932 FRANKLIN O. ANDREl/VS, OF VTILLGUGHBY, AND LOUIS STEINFUBTH, OF EAST CLEVE- LAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE ECONOMY ENGINEERING COMEANY, OF VJILL- QUGHBY, OHIO, A CORPORATION (IF OHIO FEEDING- MECHANISM Original application filed October 10, 1924, Serial No.

1930, Serial No. 449,077.

The invention relates particularly to mechanism for handling blanks. It is especially adapted for operating upon blanks such as are generally fed to automatic machines of the metal working class. The invention will be specifically described as applied to dealing with headed blanks which are to be pointed and threaded in such a machine. In such machines generally there is a plurality of forming tools together with suitable work holding and presenting mechanisms to which the blanks are delivered.

There is generally provided a hop-per from which leads a chute or guideway, generally inclined. A purpose of the present invention is to provide adjacent to the lower end of the chute intermittently actuated means which permit only one blank at a time to pass to feeding position. These means prevent the weight of the entire number of bolts in the chute from bearing against the lowermost blank therein which might interfere with its removal by the feeding mechanism. In one aspect the invention contemplates a locking device closing the chute and prohibiting the extraction of a blank therefrom. Associated with the locking device may be means for opening the lock to afford access to a blank by the removing mechanism. This opening mechanism may be associated with the removing mechanism and may move therewith so as to allow a blank in the channel to be accessible to the removing mechanism when it approaches the delivery end of the channel.

Other objects in the construction and arrangement of the parts in the present novel machine will more fully appear in the following description of the accompanying drawings and will be especially pointed out in the annexed claim.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a preferred form of a bolt machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the lower or delivery end of the chute and appurtenant mechanism. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in rear elevation of the portion of the mechanism adjacent the lower end of the chute. Fig. l is. a cross section of a portion of the mechanism on the line 4-4 742,771. Divided and this application filed May 1, Renewed. May 26, 1932.

of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail View it the blank feeding mechanism as taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal sect-ion view through the chute illustrating the bolt separator mechanism and Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional View through the chute leading from the hopper.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated preferred embodiment of this invention especially adapted to a machine for pointing and threading bolt blanks. Beferring to the drawings, the machine comprises a standard or bed 8, having a base 9, and a horizontal table 10 upon which are carried the several operating elements. The bed and table may be recessed in the usual manner to catch the oil used in lubricating and cooling the cutting tools. Mounted on the top of table 1.0 in suitable bosses are supports or housings and mechanisms for holding a plurality of blanks and for forming such blanks into finished articles of the desired shape. The present machine is designed to receive a number of blanks which are con tinuously and successively fed to the several work-holding mechanisms of a revoluble turret in which position they are operated upon by a plurality of simultaneously reciprocated forming; tools. which first reduce or point the ends of the blanks, and then cut suitable threads on the shanks thereof. Such tools are actuated in timed relation with the feeding and positioning of the blanks in the worksupporting turret so as to perform their entire functions upon the corresponding blanks duri ng each reciprocation of the tools. In other words during each cycle of the operation of the machine one blank is being finished and discharged therefrom at one complete move ment of the tools and a new blank is being simultaneously supplied in place of the discharged one. Means for actuating the moving parts of the machine consist of a driven pulley 11 belted to any suitable source of power and having the usual necessary connections for driving the moving parts.

Suitable gearing 12 is provided through which the pulley 11 may rotate a cam shaft 18 extending from end to end of the machine and carrying cams for performing the various operations of the parts of the apparatus.

As has been previously stated the machine disclosed in the present embodiment of our invention comprises means for holding a plurality of blanks in working position and for successively presenting such blanks to the several forming tools. The work holding means consists of a number of chucks 90 which are adapted to grip and hold the bolt blanks in longitudinal alignment with the pointing and the threading tools described hereinbefore. Such chucks are carried on the front end of a revoluble turret which is carried in a housing 92 mounted on top of the bed table 10' at the opposite side of the center of the machine from the forming tools. These chucks, which in the current case are three in number, are so arranged that two of them are opposed to the forming tools during the forming operation while the third one is being relieved of the finished article and supplied with a fresh blank. There are three stations in the operation of the work holding or turret mechanism and these stations will be hereinafter called the loading or discharge station, pointing station and the threading station.

Several chucks 90 are secured at spaced intervals at the front side of the turret and are provided with suitable mechanism for opening and closing them at the proper times which may be operated from the cam shaft 13 and the turret is rotated at suitable intervals by appropriate indexing mechanism.

.1; upward, the same being ordinary in this type of hopper. The blade 153 may comprise a vertical member having its upper edge bifurcated for the reception of the bolt shanks, it being understood that such bifurcations are sufficiently restricted to prevent the head of a bolt from entering between" the sides of the blade. Means are provided for actuating the hopper blade 153 from a crank 166. Crank 166 is carried at the end of a stub shaft 167 rotatably mounted in a suitable ournal provided in the bracket member 151 and having its forward end geared to a shaft 13 through pinion gears 168. In operation as the shaft 13 is rotated, the stub shaft 167 will cause the crank 166 to reciprocate the hopper blade.

Attached to the front or discharge end of the hopper by suitable bolts is an inclined guideway or chute 171which has its upper 5 surface arranged to lie in the plane of the upper surface of the hopper blade when the latter is in raised position. It will be seen therefore that such bolts as are carried by the hopper blade will slide therefrom into the chute and thence to the feeding mechanism.

Chute 171 herein consists of two spaced members which are adjustably secured together by bolts 177 to accommodate various sizes of blanks. The lower end of the chute extends to a position adjacent the work holding mechanism from which position bolts are intermittently taken and fed to the chucks 90. Referring to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the rear side 178 or the one adjacent the feeding mechanism of the chute is cut away at 180 to permit the bolts to be withdrawn laterally from the chute. The other side 179 is provided at its lowermost end with one or more bracket members 181 having one side 182 extending into the path of the bolts to prevent their dropping from the chute. There is also provided in side member 17 8 near its lowermost end a sliding latch 183 which normally extends across the lateral opening 180 and prevents the displacement of the bolts. The latch is carried in a suitable guideway 184: out in the inner face of member 178 and is normally held in closed position by a spring 185 engaging a pin 186 carried in said latch member.

As has been hereinbefore stated, this invention has for one of its objects to provide certain mechanism which permit only one bolt at a time to pass from a point intermediate the ends of the chute to feeding position, the purpose of this construction being to prevent the weight of the entire number of bolts carried in the chute from bearing against the lowermost bolt therein as it is taken from the chute by the feeding mechanism. As best seen in Figs. 2 and 6, the separator mechanism comprises a pair of intermittently reciprocated pins 190'operatin through the side 179 of the chute to engage the bolt shanks. The outer ends of these pins 190 are secured in diametrically opposed bosses 191 carried by an oscillating drum or collar member 192. This construction provides for the insertion of one of the pins 190 between the bolt shanks in the chute, while permitting the single bolt, which has been held by the other or lower pin to move downward in the chute. The next reciprocation of the pins allows another bolt to slide therebetween. Drum 192 is mounted on an oscillating shaft 193 carried by a bracket member 194 secured to the front face of side 179. Shaft 193 carries thereon a laterally projecting arm 195 having a cam roller 196 mounted at its end which is adapted to have engagement with a cam member 197 mounted on the top of a reciprocating bar 33, shown associated with a chip guard for one of the cutting tools which ma-y be reciprocated by any suitable means (not shown) from the cam shaft 13. It will be obvious that as the bar 33 is reciprocated back and forth the surface 198 of the cam 197 will cause the shaft 193 to oscillate. A spring 199 attached to a suitable clamp member on shaft 193 is utilized to keep the cam roller in constant engagement with the cam 197.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the hopper and chute mechanism convey the bolt blanks to feeding position at an angle and that such bolts when held in the work-holding mechanism are arranged horizontally or longitudinally of the machine. Therefore it has been necessary to devise certain novel mechanism which is adapted to intermittently transfer the bolts from the chute to a position where they may be gripped by the chucks 90. Mounted on a stub shaft 220 in one of the cam shaft supporting brackets 221 is an upwardly extending arm 222 provided in its upper portion with a transversely extending journal 224, in which is secured a pivotal pin 225. The arm 222 also carries a cam roller 226 adapted to engage with a cam 227 secured to shaft 13. Stub shaft 220 is arranged parallel with the axis of the cam shaft and therefore movement imparted to the arm 222 will cause the same to travel transversely of the chute 171. Carried by the pivotal pin 225 is a bracket member 228 provided with an offset portion 229 in which is secured a vertically projecting bar 230 that extends upwardly and in feeding position is adapted to lie adjacent the end of the chute 171. Slidably mounted on bar 230 is a blank engaging means comprising a sliding member 231 to which is attached a set of blank engaging spring fingers. One of these fingers 232, as seen in Fig. 5 is rigidly secured to member 231 and the other one 233 is yieldingly held by a spring 234A against the finger 232. The forward ends are provided with suitably shaped portions 234 to receive a bolt therein. Due to the peculiar arrangement of the various elements of the present machine it is necessary to have the member 231 slidable with respect to its supporting bar 230, the purpose of which will presently appear. The arm 222 is provided at its upper portion with a lateral projection 235, in which is secured one end of a rod 236 which passes upwardly through a pivotal connection 237 mounted. on the sliding member 231. Surrounding the rod 236 is a compression spring 238 which tends to keep the sliding member 231 pressed upwardly, and as shown in Fig. 3, there is provided an adjustable stop 239 on the rod 236 to limit the movement of the slidin finger carrying member 231. Projection is a so provided with an aperture 240 through which is passed the forward end of a rod 241. One end of rod 241 is carried by a projecting pin 242 secured in the front side of boss 14 such pin permitting certain oscillatory movement of the rod. A compression spring 243 is mounted on the opposite end of the rod 241 between the projection 235 and adjusting nuts 245 carried thereon for the purpose of keeping the arm 222 together with the spring fingers normally pressed inwardly, and for keepin the cam roller 226 in constant engagement with the cam 227.

The pivoted bracket member 228 is provided with another extending arm 250 in which is rotatably carried a swivel joint 251 through which passes a substantially horizontal rod 252. Adjustable clips 253 are provided at each side of the swivel member 251 for preventing relative longitudinal movement bet-ween the rod and the extending arm 25 The forward end of rod 252 is secured by a universal joint connection to the upper end of an arm 255 pivoted at its lower end about an axis extending transversely of the machine. Such arm 255 also carries a cam roller 256 adapted to be operated upon by a cam member 257 secured on cam shaft 13. ll leans, such as a tension spring 258, is used to keep such arm 255 with its roller normally pressed toward earn 257.

The operation of the above described elements is quite simple and they function to first grip a bolt as it is held in the chute 171 and to then withdraw such bolt from the chute and convey it to a horizontal position where it n ay be gripped by the chuck mecha nism 90. The parts are operated in timed relation with respect to the indexing mechanism, the various cams on the cam shaft 28 serving to accomplish such :eeding at the proper interval. Assuming the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 3 it will be understood that the inward movement of the arm 222 as caused by the action of spring 243 will carry the sprin fingers into engagement with the lowermost bolt in the chute. These fingers as they come into engagement with the bolt are permitted by the spring 234A (Fig. 5) to separate until the gripping portions thereof surround the bolt. The cam 227 then functions to push the arm 222 together with the spring fingers which carry the bolt with them outwardly against the tension of spring 243, at which time the arm 255 may be actuated to bring the arm 222 and gripping mechanism carried thereby into a horizontal position. To accomplish this. the cam rol er 256 engages the relieved portion 260 of cam 257 and permits the arm 255 to rock about its pivot to the left of Fig. 3. This movement will rock the pivoted bracket member 228 about the pin 225 and bring the bolt and its carrying mechanism to proper horizontal position. A projecting tion is gripped by the chuck mechanism the sev ral feeding elements are returned to the pos'tion shovrn in Fig. 3 ready for the grippin 3 and feeding of the neXt bolt. The sliding member 231 carried by the pivoted bracket member 228 is provided with an upstanding lug 263 which is adapted to engage the projecting pin 186 and retract the latch 183 to permit the spring fingers to enter the back side of the chute to engage abolt. When the feeding mechanism is operated to convey the bolt from the chute to horizontal position, latch 183 is carried to closed position by springs 185 as will readily appear from an inspection of Fig. 5.

This is a division of our application Ser. No. 742,771 filed October 10, 1924, Patent 1,762,649, granted June 10, 1930 for combined automa ic bolt pointing and threading machines.

The mechanism described is illustrative only. The invention may be embodied in various other forms and is notlimited to the specific details illustrated and described.

e claim as our invention:

In a machine of the character described a blank guide having a discharge opening at the lower end of one of its sides, a gate normally closing the opening, means to remove one blank at a time from the guide laterally through the gate, means carried by and moving with the removing means to slide the gate longitudinally of the guide, a pivoted arm acent the lower end of the other side of the guide and pins on the pivoted arm entering the guide alternately as the arm swings on its pivot to allow only one blank at atime to be exposed by the ate.

FRANKLIN O. ANDRElVS. LOUIS STEINFURTH.

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